A Swindon gym has received a massive painted mural outside its headquarters thanks to a local artist.

The Unit in Gorse Hill was started by Hannah Ellis in September of 2022 after she overcame her own issues to create a safe space for others who wish to work out without judgement.

Despite only being under a year old, the gym has been nominated for regional and national awards in recent months.

These achievements have been marked by the painting of a giant mural outside The Unit by local artist Sarah Harris.

Swindon Advertiser: The new mural took less than three days to complete.The new mural took less than three days to complete. (Image: Hannah Ellis)

“It is far better than I imagined as I wasn't sure exactly what I wanted, but she has created a masterpiece in my eyes,” said Hannah.

“It's loud, bold and can be seen from the car park meaning It's brought attention with even passers-by asking for more information.

“Being a business owner myself, I think it's important to support other local businesses and it was an absolute pleasure to meet Sarah and use her services.”

It took less than three days for the 55-year-old painter to complete including a half day of wall preparation as it was not in great condition.

Swindon Advertiser: Hannah is very happy with the latest addition to The Unit.Hannah is very happy with the latest addition to The Unit. (Image: Hannah Ellis.)

“Hannah gave me a loose brief and a budget to work to with her main stipulations being that she wanted the mural to clearly convey the nature of the business,” she said.

“This meant incorporating their logo and sticking to the existing brand colours of black, white and grey which made an interesting change for me as I usually work in super bright colours.”

After completing the artwork, Sarah was particularly happy to have helped a local business out with her work.

“Hannah is lovely and I was delighted to be able to work with her on this,” she said.

“There is a really supportive small business community in Swindon, and I'm glad to be a part of it.”

Swindon Advertiser: The new mural features people performing various forms of fitness.The new mural features people performing various forms of fitness. (Image: Hannah Ellis)

Sarah would love to use The Unit herself but an injury to her knee prevents her from going to the gym.

“Back in the day I used to be in the gym every single day, sometimes more than once, but unfortunately I developed an issue with my knee around four years ago,” she said.

“It means I can no longer do any high impact classes so nowadays I get my exercise from walking, and painting murals as being up and down ladders for 12 hours a day is quite a workout.

“If I could do classes again, though, I would be down to The Unit in a flash.”